


Got'cha

by Shamise



Series: Masquerade of the Universes [4]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-12-05
Updated: 2012-04-12
Packaged: 2017-10-26 23:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/288948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shamise/pseuds/Shamise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Demons and fluff and crack, oh my! This is a collection of drabbles for my Got'cha story. Some of them will end abruptly, but I'm working on making it into a whole.</p><p>Yugi was just barely getting by day by day, and then Lady Luck decided to make it all worse by sicking a very...interesting demon after him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

Got'cha

Part 01

~(*)~

"Damn it!" Yuugi swore as he scurried through the underbrush. The sky bled frightful colors of red and orange while the sun forced contrasting shadows to carve trenches in the ground. Birds scattered noisily in the air, screeching and wailing as the life giving sun began to turn it's back on their torn and bleeding world. Animals had long since retreated into their nooks and crevices; they at least were smart enough to hide while they still could.

"Ouch!" Yuugi swore again as his bare foot landed on an exposed rock. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He should have known better than to fall asleep outside the safety of the city. What on earth had possessed him to even leave the city's sturdy walls?

Oh yea, his grandpa was sick.

"Stupid…" Stupid disease, stupid inability to pay for a small dosage of the limited quantity of medicine, stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid doctor for saying that he would trade some of the medicine for a specific herb that grew several miles outside of the city. Stupid everything!

Yuugi quickened his pace into a trot, the fastest he could go until he escaped the tangled deathtrap that made up this forest's underbrush. It would only take one fall in the wrong place and he would have his face bashed in by a stone. He should be able to make it to the city before dark, but the waning sunlight didn't always keep the demons away.

He had been told once buy his grandpa that the earth hadn't always been infested with demons, but people had gotten greedy in the need for material possession and destroyed the natural barrier that kept the demons out. Yuugi assumed it was some sort of stone, very rare, but with the ability to seal away the dark creatures. Of course, this could just be the raving of the sick elder, and Yuugi had grown up fearing the murderous demons that plagued the earth. Cities had a smaller natural barrier that kept the demons out, but anyone caught outside of the city gates near dusk was as good as dead.

Yuugi jumped over a fallen log and sped up a little. He knew he shouldn't waist all his energy so quickly, it would be horrible if he got exhausted before he could even reach the gates, but nervousness and fear gnawed at his nerves. He wanted to be home now.

Like an answer to his prayers, Yuugi stumbled over the crest of a hill and the extra height gave a wonderful view of the wilderness they lived in. And in the center of it all, sat the gleaming, stonewalls of the city. He sighed in relief at the sight, jogging carefully down the hill. He was so close now! He should be safe soon!

Abruptly, the forest gave way to a barren plain. Dead trees and tree stumps littered the area, providing no cover for any traveler. A simple dirt road sketched a nearly invisible path to the city, grass crowding in until it was just as similar to the rest of the area. People did not frequent this path often, and the dangers of the demons kept large caravans from traveling. It was hard enough to grow crops in the limited space of the city, and the crops outside the walls were few and far between. Merchants limited themselves to one, occasionally two, cities, and always traveled lightly and sparsely.

A shadow suddenly fell nearby, causing Yuugi to jump and his heart rate to increase. It wasn't too early for the stronger demons to be out already; even the weaker ones could travel into the evening hours on certain phases of the moon. He scanned the skies, desperately praying that it was only a bird.

Nothing was there.

Panicking, Yuugi sped up. He lengthened his stride as much as he could, and tried to keep half an eye on where he was going and the other on the darkening skies. He tightened his grip on the bag he carried with him, it's contents the entire reason for wandering out in this cursed place. If he could only get this herb to that doctor, then everything would be all right.

Sounds of wing beats filled the air and Yuugi sped up to an all out run. The bird of prey he knew of flew silently, so anything that caused noise was definitely too big to be any bird. More than one shadow scattered along his path, striking fear into his heart and causing it to beat painfully fast. He had to get out of here!

Swoosh! Yuugi ducked and rolled as a sudden blast of air pushed him over. He jumped back up, using the momentum from his fall, and abandoned all concern for watching where he was going, turning his eyes skyward. Several dark forms circled overhead, each one sporting some satanic feature. Bright plumes of red and green decorated one of the beats, while two others appeared to be exactly alike. He swerved to the side as one of the smaller demons dived at him, narrowly missing being cleaved in half by those sharp talons. The demons' screeching and squawking drowned his scream out.

Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he tried to evade all the demons advances. It was clear that they were playing with him, taunting him with the closeness of the city and the inevitability of him getting killed and eaten. He was so close! If he had jut been a little bit quicker! More demons joined the skies as he ran desperately, each one attacking another for the chance of eating him.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing screech blasted into Yuugi's hearing. He chanced a glance behind him, nearly sobbing outright as one more demon joined the chase. This one was more human in shape, but metallic wings and a wicked tail screamed the word 'demon.' Despair ate at his chest, while mere seconds ago he might have had a chance to make it to the city while the demons were fighting over who would get to kill him, now this obviously higher class demon would have no trouble claiming a human as its meal.

Please! Yuugi screamed as another demon tried to snatch him up. Please let me live! He turned his head right as the higher-class demon dived at the other demons, effectively scattering them with its sharp-edged wings. He locked eyes with the city gate. He had to make it! If not for his own survival, then for his grandpa's!

No! There was a split second breath where time froze. A very human-like hand brushed against his shoulder blades, and an image of his dead and mutilated body decorating the barren landscape passed through his mind, then time resumed. A solid body collided with him, knocking him over in the same manner that a child would with building blocks. His leg twisted weirdly underneath him as he went down, and the air was sucked out of his lungs. Dirt and rocks dug painfully into his palms, ripping little tears into his skin. A rush of wind pushed him further as the demon that hit him swung around for a final pass, a metallic swish confirming his fear as to which one it was.

He scrambled up as fast as he could, digging his heels into the ground to sprint off towards the gate. Please! The sun glittered tauntingly of off the oh-so-close gate. Please! Sound of fighting and pain filled the air above him, and he knew that he didn't have much time. He had to hurry!

It seemed he didn't have as much time as he had hoped.

With a painful thud, something large landed on top of him. Pinned squarely beneath the creature, Yuugi screamed and lashed out in a blind panic. Due to his position, all he could see was the gritty dirt road and loathsome shadows as the demons flew overhead. Clawed hands captured each of his wrists, trapping them against the stones and dirt. The weight of his captor shifted as it shifted to bat the weaker demons away with its wings, landing horrible blows by the sounds of it.

He was pressed into the ground with a bone-crushing strength, and he fantasized that he heard the cracking of his skeleton. He screamed in fear as the creature leaned over him, weaker demons finally giving up for the chance of scraps. Hot breath fluttered over his neck, sending painful shivers up and down his body. Wait…was this thing sniffing him?

"N-no!" Yuugi flung his head back, a solid smack as his cranium connected with the demon's skull. Adrenaline must have been strengthening his movement, because the creature gave off a surprised and mildly pain filled squawk. Under normal circumstances, such a thing couldn't even be considered a pat on the head to a demon. It growled terrifyingly, and grown Yuugi deeper into the dirt. Gasping in pain, Yuugi tried desperately to pretend he was somewhere else, anywhere else but here. He tried to imagine his little hut back in the city that he shared with his grandpa; he tried to think of the neighborhood brats that teased him about his height.

These attempts were banished when the demon's hands began to wander over his body. Before he could even try to lash out, the demon used one hand to press directly in between his shoulder blades, lethal claws brushing through his shirt threatening what would happen if he moved. Movement killed, Yuugi could do nothing as the demon ran its free hand along his exposed skin. All Yuugi could do was try to shy away and he rewarded with a strike to his head. Tears mingled with the dirt as the creature leaned forward again, smelling him, before leaning back suddenly.

"A-aaaah!" The ground suddenly fell away, leaving him with his feet dangling ground ward and the wind stinging his face. The demon had been so fast in switching his grip that Yuugi hadn't had time to notice until they were already airborne. Terrified at the sight of the ground shrinking with each passing second, Yuugi clutched desperately at the demon's arms. They were higher than any roof in the city, and possibly even higher than the Tower than protected everyone from the demons.

There were several moments where a strong gust of wind made them drop several feet and Yuugi thought that his stomach was never going to be the same ever again. His heart had long since broken the record for most beats per millisecond, and his voice was taking a serious beating.

Suddenly, Yuugi was dropped. He screamed, already imagining what his body would look like once it hit the ground. An entire second later, Yuugi's feet hit something solid and momentum sent him tumbling. Stupidly, Yuugi stared at the rock underneath him; a bubble of hysterical giggles circling beneath the surface. The demon had taken up to some cliff, high above the ground with no way down except for falling or flying. He was going to die.

The demon landed lightly on the edge of the cliff, the perfect image of calm triumph. Shiny, metallic wings shifted to settle along the demon's back, catching the rays of the sun with each little movement. For a moment, Yuugi wondered how this demon could have lived to this age with such noticeable wings, and with the noticeable…lack of armor.

Face flushing under the swirling vortex of emotions that mingled beneath his skin, Yuugi tried desperately not to stare at what was going to ruthlessly kill him. The demon was in the form of a male human, olive rich skin stretching over athletic muscles. Metal side-armguards grew into a pointed spike that protruded from each elbow, and matching shin guards protected those parts of his body. Aside from that, the only other thing the demon 'wore' was a metal plate that covered his inner thighs and…another area. Snapping his eyes up, Yuugi tried to keep his 'inspection' to the chest and up. Just because he was going to die didn't mean he couldn't see what his killer looked like, right?

'What…the…fuck?'

The demon's face was angular; definitely a pretty thing to look at if it were for those demonic red eyes and fatal fangs, but that wasn't what had killed Yuugi's thoughts. It was his hair, a near duplicate of Yuugi's. Yuugi had always been told that the gene for his hair was solely for the Mouto family, so why did a demon have it? Inter-species breeding was not completely impossible (rare, but not impossible), but he would know if there was a demonic relative hogging up a space in the family tree. People genetically related to demons were often either run out of the city or burned at the stake.

'H-how could this be possible?' Even his thoughts stuttered. He scrambled back as the demon advanced, something foreign highlighting the red irises. A metallic tail swayed behind him, sharp edges glinting dangerously in the evening sunlight. In no time at all, the demon was leaning over him, pinning him to the stone ledge. Yuugi resumed his struggles, kicking and flailing as the creature converged upon him. This was the part where his heart was torn out, where his bloody screams would be the only thing to hear aside from the ripping of flesh.

"No!" He screeched. He didn't want to die, there was so much more he wanted to do with his life! He wanted to learn an interesting craft, marry a gorgeous bride and live long enough to see little grandkids running around. He didn't want to die!

Clawed hands pressed him into the stone, controlling his struggles much in the same way as earlier. The demon leaned close to his face, sending chills down his spine. It stayed like that for a long time, an eternity to Yuugi but only a few minutes in reality. Finally, Yuugi's struggles died down, and all he could do was tremble in the demon's grasp.

Tears reappeared on his face, rolling down his cheeks to pool on the stone below. He couldn't even find it in him to try and think of good things anymore. He was god-knows how high of off the ground with a demon pinning him down, and there was no way he was going to survive this.

"P-please…" he whispered, desperately trying to keep his composure. "Please, make it…quick." Kill me quick, don't make me feel that pain.

The demon did nothing for a while, merely watching at tears rolled down Yuugi's face with curiosity. Its tail was arched high in the air, a position of dominance that Yuugi recognized from the wild dogs that infested the more desolate parts of town. Yuugi watched it in defeat, trying desperately not to think of his impending doom and failing miserably.

Eventually, the demon did move, but not in the quick and instantly lethal way Yuugi had hoped. Instead, it moved slowly, confident in its motion, and stuck its face near the juncture of Yuugi's neck and shoulder. This is it. Yuugi thought as he closed his eyes. The final blow.

The feel of something wet yet sandpapery dragged along his neck, starting from his neck and dragging up to his ear. He flinched away from the demon's tongue, mortified. What the hell? He was roughly smashed against the stone in retaliation, and Yuugi coughed as the air left his lungs. He growled in frustration, what was the demon doing? Why was the demon licking him?

"S-stop that!" he yelled, wishing for not the first time in his life that he was stronger. He felt so helpless!

The demon must have been confident that he had Yuugi securely held, because he began a curious exploration of Yuugi's body (much to his displeasure). He twitched as the demon ran coarse fingers over a sensitive nerve, and squeaked when he hit a ticklish one. Eventually, Yuugi gave up his struggles altogether. No matter how long it took, this demon would eat him eventually. He had no way to escape, nor a place to run to if he did. He was stuck.

The demon paused when he went still, but the pause wasn't long and he continued his explorations. He was probably finding the best place to start feeding, Yuugi mused morbidly.


	2. Drabble 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yugi wakes up and is depressed...

Got'cha

Drabble 2

Shamise

~(*)~

Wearily, Yuugi stared at the cave wall opposite him. His arms were clasped rightly around his knees and his legs were pressed against his chest. The wall he sat against was cold, and the dim morning light glowed at the mouth of the cave. Goosebumps decorated his skin, and he wished once again that he had his clothes on. A shiver vibrated down his spin, and his teeth chattered. He had gotten no sleep the night before, and his thoughts had remained blissfully dull.

However, the growing sunlight revealed things better left unseen.

His toes curled into the rock floor as his eyes took in his state of dress…or lack thereof. He wished he had a blanket, or even a towel to hide his nakedness, his shame. Shaking, he pressed his face into his knees, wishing away the images that wanted to emerge. Unable to keep his eyes closed, he opened them to stare across the room at a pile of furs.

He shook as he glared at the demon sleeping soundly in those furs. Furs and the odd out-of-place pillow (where on earth did the demon get those?) rested beneath the slumbering demon. The demon was curled amongst them, undoubtedly warm, as he had been since…last night.

Oh dear gods, why did last night have to happen? He wasn't a bad person. He hadn't ever done anything that would demand karma of that degree. He didn't have any cursed ancestor that would have tainted his being. He would have rather died than let his body become tainted by some demon. The shame that he felt now was horrendous. He couldn't even look at himself. He would never feel clean now.

There would be no going back to the village now. They would know instantly. The fact that he didn't have any clothes on would be scandalous enough. But there were ways to tell that a demon had partaken of him. It killed him on the inside to know that his grandpa would be left all alone, but there was no way he could help him now.

He jerkily rose to his feet. The decision was clear in his mind. He was tainted now. No one would accept him, and there was no way to hide it. He couldn't help grandpa, and without Yuugi's help Grandpa would die. It would be better just to go ahead of him and meet him there. It might help soothe the pain he must have felt dying alone.

His legs were wobbly, and his whole body ached with the movement. Fire raced up his spine. It hurt! It hurt so much! He staggered forward, breath catching as the demon stirred. He would have to hurry. He needed to do this before the demon woke up and continued to taint him. He limped towards the opening of the cave, and he paused a moment to feel the soft glow of the morning sunlight on his skin. This would be the last time he felt the sun. It was a shame that he couldn't enjoy it.

His eyes were unconsciously drawn down, and he stared over the cliff edge and at the ground below. He became dizzy with just how high up he was, and nausea rose in this throat. It was such a long way down. The few trees at the base of the cliff looked like blades of grass. Could he do it?

He teetered along the edge in uncertainty. It really was a long way down. It would definitely hurt.

'I…I can't do it.' Yuugi realized. His legs had frozen up and they refused to move. Frustration mingled with his shame. How could he rectify this? How was he going to live now?

A sudden noise behind him startled him. He jerked his head around, and his face paled at the sight of the demon stirring. The demon's rich colored skin stretched over lean muscles as he arched his spine in a cat-like stretch. The demon yawned, displaying fangs and a wide jaw. Red eyes, still cloudy with sleep, opened to stare blankly at him.

Recognition cleared those eyes, and the demon rose from his bed of furs. Terror gripped Yuugi. He had to get away! The demon stood, and took a menacing step towards him.

He jerked back as the demon reached for him. His foot moved to support his weight shift, and his heart stopped when he felt nothing beneath his heel.

Instantly, he was falling. The ground rushed up towards him as the cave opening shrunk at a terrifying speed. His stomach vanished from his belly, and his heart lodged itself in his throat. A scream tore from his throat, and all thought fled from him.

There was a moment where his stomach slammed into place, and a whistling stung his ears as metallic wings cut through the air. The demon's arms had wrapped around his chest, and the demon's body enfolded Yuugi's.

The oncoming ground slowed substantially, and eventually stopped advancing all together. The whistling quieted, but the roar of the wind in his ears did not. The meager contents of his stomach threatened to spill all over. His voice fled from him, and it was all he could do not to struggle. He would definitely fall to his death if he did, and he was having second thoughts about that.

The ground began to spiral as weight was shifted, and the miniature trees shrank. Dejavu fell over him as he grasped on to the demon. It was terrifying to be so high up with no real support. They soared up higher, until leveling off. Yuugi saw the cliff-side cave from just a few minutes ago fast approaching.

They swooped in close, and a flurry of wing beats thundered in his ears. He was dropped, rather unceremoniously, onto the flack rock that protruded from the cave. The air was knocked out of his lungs, and pain dug into his body. Yuugi scrambled out of the way as the demon landed beside him.

Wary of what the demon might do, Yuugi crouched in a defensive stance. The demon did not advance though, and Yuugi took the moment to get a better look at him. The demon's appearance had not changed much from…last night. Silver plating decorated his forearms and shins and…private areas, with a wicked looking spike curving from each elbow and knee. The red spheres from yesterday were a clear gray now. That was weird, Yuugi thought, why would they change colors?

The demon also appeared to be watching Yuugi. His expression was calmer than yesterday, which was a good thing, Yuugi supposed. There wasn't any sort of intent present in those red eyes, and the demon's posture was neutral. Ironically, the demon seemed just as wary of him as Yuugi was of the demon.

It was silent for a long time, and neither of them moved. Yuugi's legs had begun to cramp from being in their tense position, but he was afraid to move and provoke the demon. One of them had to move first, and Yuugi was dead-set on prolonging this stalemate as long as possible.

A stomach rumbled, and the silence was sub-sequentially broken. The demon blinked, surprised, and looked at his stomach. The demon's hand went to rest against his stomach and the demon's mouth puckered. Red eyes glanced up to stare at Yugi with an unreadable expression.

'Oh, please no…' Yuugi's face paled. The demon was hungry, and Yugi just happened to be the closest available food source. He tensed, and his nerves came alive. He would fight for his life, tainted body be damned. He would fight not make it easy for the demon.

The demon blinked, and an odd expression came on his face. Yugi couldn't tell if it was a grimace or a…pout?

Yugi watched, dumbfounded, as the demon turned to the opening of the cave and took off. Wind gushed back at him and whistled as the demon's metallic wings gained balance and he soared away.

Shakily, Yugi sat on the stone floor. His limbs refused to function, and he collapses onto his back. He laughed hoarsely, unable to believe what had happened.

"Oh…my god," he stuttered. How on earth was he still alive? Maybe he was hallucinating, and his body was just a red smear on the ground now.

It would probably be better if that were true, Yuugi thought cynically. He had no idea what the demon wanted with him. Aside from last night, the demon hadn't really done anything to him. Yuugi's face paled. He really hoped that the demon didn't capture him for sex. He didn't know if he could take any more nights like last night.

The cave was silent, except for his breathing. It was getting a little bit warmer, and Yuugi was thankful for that. The sudden solitude gave his body the opening it needed to alert him of its pains. Yugi grimaced. Gingerly, he ran his fingers over the scratches on his arms and then his legs. They weren't terribly deep, but there were a few that would definitely leave a scar. His core muscles, biceps, and quads ached dully.

"Shit…" There was no way he could escape in this condition, he had momentarily entertained the thought of scaling the cliff, but with the way his limbs refused basic function it would be as good as suicide. He had to get back, thought. His grandpa would survive for a few days without treatment, but unless uugi could get those herbs to that doctor, he wouldn't get any better.

"The herbs!" Yugi exclaimed. He had totally forgotten about them! He scrambled around the room in a desperate search for his backpack. Maybe, hopefully, it had gotten carried up with him! His frantic search combed the entire wall of the cave, and he ignored the odd assortment of clay bowls and hunting knives. His eyes turned toward the ominous pile of furs at the far corner.

There were a lot of furs…probably even enough to hide his backpack. He swallowed his fear and approached the furs. Images from last night, from his tainting, assaulted his mind. He forced them away stubbornly, and quickly searched through the furs. The scent of the demon was strong, and it made his stomach churn unpleasantly.

Nothing. He had found his clothes amongst the pile, but no sign of his backpack. He held his torn and tattered clothes close to his body, and he scampered away from the pile. The furs still held some warmth to them.

What was he going to do? If he couldn't get those herbs to his grandpa, then his grandpa wouldn't get any better! Tears welled at the corners of his eyes and he furiously brushed them away. What could he do?

He needed more time. Time to find a way to escape; time to get those herbs; and time to help his grandpa. He needed time he obviously did not have. He was holed up in this cave by a demon that might only want him for sex!

He looked at the clothes in his hands. They were dirty, and his shirt looked like it was beyond repair. Yuugi blushed in shame as he remembered how those tears got there. His trousers, thankfully, were still in usable condition. Although, he'd give anything to wash away those stains. His underwear, regrettably, had not survived at all.

Yugi grimaced as he pulled on his trousers. Without his underwear, the rough material rubbed against his body uncomfortably, but he would have to deal with it.

Sighing, Yugi found a spot where the warm sunlight struck the cave wall and floor, and sat in it. The warm stone helped to soothe his aching body. He trained a wary eye on the cave opening, and waited.


	3. Drabble 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yugi is not so depressed and he muses...

Got'cha

Drabble 3: Racoon's Nest

Shamise

~(*)~

"What is taking him so long?" Yugi grumbled. He irritably paced around the cave. The noontime sun had already risen high, and the cave was becoming warm with the direct sunlight. About halfway into the morning, Yugi had grown bored with waiting, and he ventured from his spot against the wall. Curiosity had driven him to look at the odd assortment of objects inside the cave.

"It's like a raccoon's nest," he mused, smiling with the irony. One side of the cave was littered with clay bowls and plates, some of which were broken and unusable. There were several piles of unsorted items, too. Everything from toys to hair combs were present, and aside from the clay bowls and plates, nothing was organized. The cave would probably be much bigger if all this junk was tossed out.

"Where did he get all this stuff?" he thought incredulously. Some of the styles were old, so they could have come from the trash heap or some abandoned village, but many of the items were familiar to Yuugi. He especially recognized Kinjo's (the city's best potter) signature on some of the bowls! How did the demon get those?

"He couldn't have gotten into the city," Yugi argued." The demon-shield would have kept him out." However, a sliver of doubt crept in. What if the demon could get into the city? He was clearly a demon, and the demon-shield even kept out the small, rodent-like demons that were more biological than demonic.

Regardless, he ha grown board with worrying and thinking over every which way the demon could get into the city. Since the cave wasn't extremely large, he had run out of things to look at and do. He'd tried reciting the Twelve Pledges of Life, something that they had drilled into his head at age seven, and only irritated himself when he couldn't even remember half of them. It had taken him weeks to pass that exam! His seven-year-old self hadn't seen the playground for weeks because of that!

And that's how he ended up pacing hours later.

"I'm going to die from boredom before I die of anything else," he grumbled. How much longer was he going to have to wait? He couldn't take the suspense anymore.

Eventually, he grew tired of pacing, too, and he leaned against the wall. He never had been extremely patient, and he preferred being busy instead of lazing around. More than once (especially during his childhood), he had gotten in trouble for rushing people and projects.

He walked over to the lip of the cave. He could see for miles from this high up. There was the thin river that cut the plains from the cliffs, and there was the forest, and, if he squinted, he could see the gray outline of the city walls. Yugi grimaced and forced himself to look away from the city. It seemed that unless he grew wings, he'd never make it back. For one thing, he couldn't scale the cliff, and for another, he couldn't get across the river without a boat. He wasn't that good a swimmer, honestly.

Yugi refused to let fear and hopelessness consume him. He'd already had one breakdown too many today, and his pride refused to have any more. He needed to think, not panic.

A flurry of movement by the forest caught his eyes. A flock of small birds exploded from the canopy; their gray and brown bodies contrasting with the rich green of the treetops. Yugi watched as their chaotic flight led them from above the canopy to beneath it, like fish surfacing from the water. A flash of silver dashed above the trees, trailing closely behind the birds.

"It's the demon…" he realized. They were nearing the far edge of the cliff, right before it gave way to the plain and the river. The demon must have been hunting, he decided. That would explain the chaotic flight of the birds.

Yugi eventually sat down to watch. It kind of reminded him of the crows and blackbirds in the city. The smaller blackbird would have found some tasty morsel that the larger crow just had to have. "I wonder if he's a scavenger instead of a hunter," Yugi mused.

It was morbidly entertaining to watch the demon chase the birds. He had astonishing aerial agility for his unyielding human body. He was keeping right behind the birds, following their turns on a dime. Although, there were several times where the demon made too wide a turn and had to scramble to catch up.

Eventually, the demon must have targeted a single bird, and he herded it away from the group. Yugi felt a pang of nauseous sympathy. How many creatures had the demon tortured and killed that way? Yugi had been away from his people, and currently he listed himself among the tortured.

Yugi kicked himself for the sympathy he felt towards the bird. He was a man (his seventeenth summer had been just a few months ago), and men did not shed tears for birds!

They were close to the edge of the forest now, when suddenly both bird and demon shot high into the sky. They rose high above the level of the cave, and the demon's arm reached out. Yugi could only imagine the pain filled cry of the bird as the demon's claws sunk into its flesh. He watched, void of feeling as the demon stopped to hover, bird tightly in it's grasp. Would the demon eat it there? Or would he fly away to find somewhere to feast?

However, Yugi was surprised with what the demon actually did. He let the bird go. And it was uninjured too! The freed bird was winging back towards the canopy lie a bat out of hell.

"Why did he let it go?" Yugi murmured. He was a demon, a creature that got off on panic and fear. It wouldn't have been hard for the demon to rip the bird apart. Maybe the demon actually had some moral or sympathy?

"Not freaking likely."

He watched as the demon circled above the canopy. The red jewels on his wings were bright specks against the green background (weren't they gray this morning?). It was…interesting to see how his flight pattern differed from other birds. He was too big to have the quick movements of a sparrow, but he also didn't glide enough to mimic a hawk or vulture.


	4. Drabble 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A while epiphany has appeared!

Yugi trailed after the demon quietly. Logically, he was 'safer' with this demon as opposed to the other ones out there. What was that saying? "The demon you know?" Regardless, this demon has already gone through pains to keep him alive, and Yugi doubted that another other demons would be as 'kind.'

The demon lead him into a grove of similar looking fruit trees. Curiosity made him pause while the demon continued on ahead. He had never seen so many trees in one place before! Well, at least not ones that looked the same.

Yugi walked forward after the demon. He watched as he darted up into the fruit trees. The branches shook as the demon dropped from them moments later, carrying a handful of what looked like apples. He stood in front of Yugi for a several seconds before dropping the fruit in Yugi's arms.

Yugi stared as the demon turned around and climbed back into the tree. He quickly adverted his eyes when the demon's butt waves in the air. Embarrassed, Yugi walked away from the tree until he was far enough that he wouldn't have to worry about seeing something he would never un-see. He sat down against a tree trunk, and made himself busy with the armful of fruit.

They looked like ordinary apples, but they were a variety of green and yellow colors as opposed to the red he was used to. He took a tentative bite, hunger and curiosity overwhelming him, and he was pleasantly surprised at the taste. It was close to a regular apple, but just a little bit sweeter.

“Mmm,” Yugi hummed as he finished off the first apple. He started on another, and finished if by the time the demon had reappeared from the tree.

“Having fun?” Yugi asked as the demon hopped from branch to branch. He spoke softly, and the demon didn't hear him. He watched the demon move around as he ate his third apple. It was strange, almost impossible to believe that this creature was the cause for so much of his pain. “Why?” He asked. “Why did you do it?”

The demon paused to look at him, tilting his head to the side like a curious puppy. His eyes moved from beyond him. Yugi sighed in relief. He wasn't comfortable when the demon looked right at him. It reminded him of the past few days when he had been holed up in that cave, and he honestly didn't want to remember much about it.

He had taken a bite into his last apple, intent on eating the whole thing. To be honest, he was full from the last one, but he didn't know when the next time he would eat was, so he wanted to be prepared.

He jumped at the demon's sudden growl. There was a roaring in his ears as the demon lunged for him, snatching him around his middle and throwing him to the side. Yugi landed with a thud. There was a braying from another creature and Yugi scrambled away a demon stomped on the ground where Yugi had just been sitting. The demon, his demon, growled at the newcomer, a wicked, goat-looking monster. It had a pair of ram's horns, dark green and brown fur, cloven hooves, and a bony body. It stomped at his demon, who was only about two heads taller, issuing a challenge.

Cautiously, Yugi backed away. The demons lunged at each other, screaming defiance and challenges as they fought. The demon has just protected him again! Yugi doubted that he would do much more to help him. His balance was upset as he stepped on an apple, and once he regained his balance he picked it up. He starred at the two demons, and a decision was made. His demon might be strong compared to a human, but it would only take one misstep for him to be gorged by those horns. Yugi didn't know which direction the city was, and he didn't want to take his chances on his own.

With that in mind, Yugi wound up and threw the apple at the goat demon. He missed, by quite a bit, but it gave his demon the necessary distraction to attack the goat demon. The jewels on his wings glowed a bright red, and cast the two fighters in an eerie glow.

Yugi watched, unnerved, as the two demons fought. This was the first time he had seen the demon actually fight, their little scuffles didn't count, and he was surprised at how cunning he was. He fought with an intellect that the goat demon lacked, and it showed in the way the demon lured the goat demon into a lunge and countered with a jab to the throat while it was outstretched. It wasn't long before the demon managed to grab the goat demon's horns, and from then on the fight was over.

There was a wet snap as the demon broke the goat demon's neck. Yugi has seen sheep slaughtered before, but it wasn't so...messy. He nearly threw up whet the demon started ripping up the carcass and taking handfuls of meat that he stuffed in his mouth. Yugi would never be able to look at meat the same way anymore.

Yugi took a deep breath and leaned against a tree trunk. He couldn't believe that earlier he was having trouble connecting the demon to his actions. He was basically an animal.

Yugi blinked as a sudden thought appeared to him. It the demon was like an animal, then could he be domesticated? He knew that dogs had once been wolves before humans has taken them into their homes, but that had taken decades of work. Could it be possible? The demon seemed smart enough, so maybe Yugi could try to teach him?

But where to start? Yugi had never tamed anything. Hell, he didn't even have any younger siblings to order around. How was he supposed to teach a demon to be human?

He watched as the demon finished his meal, and licked his fingers. He kicked the carcass, and promptly climbed up into a tree to snooze, blood still covering his face and arms. Yugi grimaced.  
“I guess we could always start with hygiene.”


	5. Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of a bath...

The demon rolled around ont eh ground, smearing the blood on the grass. Yugi grimaced. That was just...gross. The demon was acting like a kid in a mud pit.

  
“Ok, first things first,” Yugi mumbled. “There has to be a pond or river or something nearby.” The trees wouldn't have gotten so big if there wasn't. He wandered around the orchard, keeping the demon within sight. He didn't want to run into another goat-demon alone. The demon stood up as he got further away, and starred at Yugi.

“Are you going to follow me?” Yugi asked. The demon tilted his head, and hesitantly stepped forward after him.

Yugi waited till he was about two arm-lengths away, then he began walking again. The demon stopped, and yugi waited until he took another step after him before he continued.

The demon didn't hesitate again and he followed Yugi as he searched for water. Everytime Yugi looked back, the demon tilted his head in confusion, but continued to walk forward.

Eventually, Yugi heard the sound of moving water. He had just approached a hill on the west side of the orchard. He hurried to the top of the hill and was awe struck at the sight.

Crystal blue water pooled in the distance. A river from the faraway hills fed the large pond, and a mini-delta of creeks was fed by the pond. Spidery creeks branched off of the main river, one of them winding close to them, and the sight of it made his mouth water.


	6. Attack of the Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And back to being serious...

It was terrifying, and Yugi had utterly no idea what to do.

  
  


Scrambling over an upturned log, he fled from the screaming monstrosity behind him. He gasped for breath, straining to support his terrified body. His fear overrode the sting he should be feeling from his new wounds.

  
  


Help! Someone, help me! The need for air took away his voice. The small stream of logic that failed to disappear said that no one would be able to hear him anyway.

  
  


A sickening crack echoed in the air as the monster barreled into a tree. There was a terrible whoosh as the branches came hurtling from he air and the tree began to fall. He turned to look, and was terrified to see the top of the tree bearing down upon him.

  
  


There was no time to get out of the way. There was no time to pray for help. There was no time to wish for anything. There was only time to scream.

  
  


The next thing he knew was pain. It hurt to breathe, almost to the point where he couldn't. Smaller branches and twigs cascaded upon him as the tree settled on the ground. He struggled to move; he struggled to open his eyes. There was a greater danger here than death by tree. It hurt to open his eyes amongst the falling debris, but the ominous crunch of logs under a heavy weight urged him on.

  
  


"Come on…" he groaned, pressing against the large tree branch that pressed against his torso. It was just a few inches from crushing him against the ground, and the bark dug into his skin. It was close to the base trunk, and he soon came to the realization that there was no way he was going to be able to move it; one arm was pressed against his side, and his other was caught between the tree and his body. He couldn't see his legs, but he could feel a weight against his right shin.

  
  


Cruuunch.

  
  


The branch lurched and pressed against his chest. He wheezed, panic rising. The demon, the monster was getting closer! He cast wide, frantic eyes towards the sounds. The hulking skull of the monster was snuffling among the branches, its beady eyes scanning for its prey. His heart stopped in his chest as the monster neared, and his free hand clawed at the branch until his fingers bled.

  
  


"Get away!" he screeched. The monster starred right at him, focusing on his struggling form. There was a pleased grunt from the monster as it approached him, its jagged maw opening to consume both him and the branch pinning him down.

  
  


He screamed. His death was reaching for him, and there was nothing he could do about it. Why? Why now, after all this time? He had survived the demon, he had persevered, and now he was going to die?

  
  


An ear-splitting whistle split the air, and a bolt of silver shot from the sky. It collided with the monster's arched back, causing shock waves of smoke. The monster buckled underneath the impact, and it roared out in pain.

  
  


What…?

  
  


The demon, his demon, was holding on tightly to the monster's back. The jewels on his body glowed a harsh and bloodthirsty red and his eyes were even brighter. His demon screeched defiance, and he clawed at the monster's eyes and face.

  
  


The monster bucked and squealed, its giant feet snapping logs and branches in its panic. Blood dribbled down its face, and its legs buckled beneath it. Rings of red danced around his demon, a devil's halo, as he tore apart the monster. Yugi was simultaneously horrified and mystified as the demon who had slept with him, fed him, held him, and wrestled with him for the past few weeks used those same hands to dig deep trenches through the monster's thick hide. It was terrifying.

  
  


The entire attack ended abruptly, with the monster backing off into the tree line and his demon bellowing defiance. Yugi wheezed as the adrenaline rushed out of him, leaving his limbs shaky and unresponsive. He let his head fall to the ground beneath him, and tried to focus on controlling his breathing. He had trouble thinking about anything else through the realization that he hadn't died.

  
  


Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to even do that.

  
  


In a sudden gush of air, his demon landed on the log on top of him. "Ack!" he gasped as it pressed against his sore ribs. He squinted, trying to look at his demon through the sudden lack of air, and his heart dropped out of his chest.

  
  


His demon looked pissed.

  
  


Fangs were barred at him in a snarl, and his eyes were savage. His demon was glaring at him much in the same way he had glared at the monster. Yugi became scared again. Metallic wings were spread predatorily above him, and the red orbs glistened like pools of blood. His clawed hands were tense, the skin pulled tautly over the knuckles, as was the rest of his body.

  
  


He let out a screech, and jumped down from the log. Yugi's gasp for air was cut short as his demon pulled harshly at his torso, painfully dragging him out from under the log. New wounds were added to the other ones as the rough bark bit into his stomach and legs, and as his demon dug his claws into his arms.

  
  


"A-ah!" he screamed as his demon slammed him against the ground. "S-stop!' he chocked out. He was rammed into the ground again, and his already beaten body felt like it was going to break.

  
  


"Biaw!" his demon shouted, pressing him to the ground and pinning him there. "Biaw, biaw, biaw!" Yugi was shook with each word, and his vision became blurry with the movement. His heart became heavy with realization that his demon had not changed; the raw possessiveness in his voice had scattered any thought that Yugi might have made some kind difference on the demon's attitude. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes. No, he was...he wasn't going to cry. There would be no point, and it certainly wouldn't change anything.

  
  


"Biaw, bi-aw." There was a small hiccup in that last word, and Yugi dared to open his eyes. His breath caught in his throat at what he saw. His barely controlled fear and the shock at almost dying rose up within him and overcame his emotional control. He lunged for his demon, wrapping his arms around his demon's chest. He buried his face in the demon's chest, and let his tears finally roll. His demon's arms similarly came to hold him, and the demon's own tears dropped onto his forehead.

  
  


"Biaw," his demon whispered. Yugi was pulled into the demon's lap and cradled there. He was unable to stop his crying, even after the demon had ceased his. He was picked up, and a sense of vertigo followed as his demon took flight. Yugi closed his eyes, finding no point in using the effort needed to keep them open. He knew where they would go.

  
  


The flight to the cliff-cave was nothing spectacular. Yugi, ashamed as he was to admit it, was still caught up in his emotions. He had fallen into a dull silence by the time his demon had alighted on the cave lip, and he couldn't find it in him to protest when his demon carried him over to the bed of furs. He whimpered as he was set down, and he cursed himself for his behavior. Coward, he sneered; pathetic, he snapped. Why couldn't he be strong? Other men would have been perfectly fine; they would not have broke down and cried in the arms of anyone, let alone a demon.

  
  


Yugi curled in on himself, wondering if it might have been better if he had died. Other men would have, and they would have gone with honor. But him, he had disgraced himself several times now. What would his grandpa think?

  
  


Grandpa…what do I do?

  
  


His demon had stepped away from him for a moment, rummaging around the storage area of his cave. He came back with something that sloshed around, Yugi didn't care to turn and look, and settled on the ground beside him. Yami chirped at him, and nudged his shoulder.

  
  


Go away…Yugi thought as he violently jerked his shoulder away from his demon. He didn't want anything to do with his demon right now. He didn't want anything to do with anyone right now. His weakness, his shame was too much, and all he wanted to do was waste away like the good little failure he was.

  
  


Yami squawked indignantly behind him. Yugi should have known better, honestly, his demon was just as stubborn as he was. The only difference was that Yami had no tact. His shoulder was grabbed roughly, and he was jerked to face his demon. Yugi reacted violently, and swung and arm out to hit Yami.

  
  


"Leave me alone!" he yelled as his arm was caught. His demon snarled at him in defiance. "Go away!" Yugi pushed against him, grabbing Yami's arm in turn, and trying to bodily make him go. They fought for several minutes, bodies rolling across the cave floor as they each tried to get the upper hand.

  
  


Finally, Yugi managed to get on top. He kept his legs to both sides of Yami's thighs and pinned his demon's arms beside his head. Yami struggled against him, but Yugi's advantageous position won out. He glowered at Yugi.

  
  


"Why?" Yugi huffed. "Why, why, why, why, why?" Tears rolled down his face as his emotions caught back up with him. His eyes were barely open, but it was enough to see the reopened wounds on his demons body. He was in horrible shape, probably worse than Yugi. "W-why?" his voice cracked, and his body lost its tense position. Why had the demon saved him? Why had the demon gone through so much trouble and pain to save him? The only purpose Yugi had served was to be a bedmate, and there was no way in hell that he was a good enough lay for his demon to put his own life on the line to save him. So why?

  
  


Yugi did not resist as his demon raised his arms. Calloused hands cupped his face, uncaring as tears pooled against his palms. Yami cooed at him, and gently pushed Yugi off of his stomach. Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami as his demon pulled him back to the pile of furs. He couldn't stop crying, and for once in his life he didn't feel the need to. His demon was there, lying next to him and holding him tightly. Comfort he had only felt from his grandpa when he was just a toddler revisited him like ghost from the past.

  
  


"Y-Yami…" he whispered, his voice thick with tears. His demon cooed and murmured soft things in his demonic tongue.

  
  



	7. Grandpa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the plot moves forward...for a short while.

He had to have looked like a mess; with the glances he was getting from the people in the waiting room. His pants were in terrible condition, his feet were nearly black with dirt, he was topless and thin scars decorated his arms, and his hair was a wreck. He didn't care, currently, but he imagined that he be extremely embarrassed after he saw his grandpa.

  
  


I can't believe he's still alive! Yugi had been ecstatic to hear about his grandpa's condition. He had been terrified that he had been too later the entire venture here.

  
  


His foot bounced in his impatience, and he ignored the whispers surrounding him. Come on! He urged. Why couldn't the nurses be faster?

  
  


He snapped to attention when the door to the 'residential' rooms opened. His breathing stalled as the nurse who emerged scanned the room. Her eyes paused on him, and he waited for her to announce his name.

  
  


"Jin Taylor?"

  
  


Yugi lurched in his seat, nearly falling over at the sudden movement. Blushing, he settled back into the chair as a brown-haired man rose from the other side of the room and followed the nurse through the door.

  
  


An hour passed, and several other people were called to the door. Each time a name was called, Yugi would jump up from his chair in excitement, and every time he would settle back into his chair, embarrassed. How much longer was it going to take?

  
  


"Yugi Mouto?"

  
  


Honestly, didn't they know what he had gone through to get here? Well…probably not, but still!

  
  


"Yugi Mouto!"

  
  


He jerked to attention at the sound of his name. He blushed at the stern looking nurse at the door.

  
  


"Your grandfather is ready to see you now."

  
  


Yugi launched from his chair and raced over to the door.

  
  


"He just woke up, so it might take him a minute to recognize you," she said as she walked briskly through the halls. Yugi's eyes darted to each doorway, wondering which one his grandpa was in. "We would…prefer it if you were cleaner, but he has been asking about you, and his health isn't so bad that it can't wait. Plus…I don't think any of us can take another 'story.'" Yugi grinned at that last part. His grandpa was strong willed, and he knew how to 'motivate' someone into doing what he wanted.

  
  


They walked for an eternity, turning down multiple hallways and one flight of stairs.

  
  


"Are we almost there?" Yugi asked for the tenth time (and yes, he had been counting), and his irritation was only matched by the nurse's.

  
  


"Yes," she sighed. "It's just up ahead. Room two hundred fifty six."

  
  


"Thank you!" Yugi yelled as he broke out into a sprint, ignoring the nurse's call for him to slow down.

  
  


"Grandpa!" he yelled as he swerved into the appropriate room. Tears welled in his eyes and burred the image of his grandpa sitting on the bed.

  
  


"Y-Yugi?" was his grandpa's startled reply. Yugi flew across the room and launched into the old man's arms. He cried, tears falling down his face in happiness. "Oh my god, Yugi!" Solomon likewise was crying, and he held tightly into Yugi.

  
  


"Where have you been?" Solomon asked once they had calmed down. "Nobody knew anything, and you just…disappeared."

  
  


Yugi shook his head. "I want to hear about how you are."

  
  


Solomon paused. "Well, the doctor has me on some medication."


	8. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are cuddles.

Yugi blearily opened his eyes. His nose wrinkled at the smell of lake water and wet dog. He glared through hazy eyes at the opening of the cave and felt like hissing as the downpour outside. A gust of cold air made him shiver in discomfort. His meager two blankets were slightly damp, and the cold was beginning to seep through his skin.

  
  


Too cold… he thought. The rain never got this cold back in the city. Of course, the city wasn't as close to the snow-covered peaks either.

  
  


He was about to roll over and face the opposite direction when his blankets were suddenly ripped off of him. There was a grunt as someone grabbed his arm and yanked him out of his damp nest, and he whined.

  
  


"H-hey!" he grumbled as he left his meager source of warmth. Why did the demon feel as if he had to impose on everything Yugi had? He had enough blankets over there in the far corner of the cave; he didn't need to take Yugi's.

  
  


He was dragged from his previous spot to deeper in the cave, and unceremoniously dropped onto a pile of furs. Yugi squeaked as the demon flopped down next to him, and his vision went dark, as a thick blanket was draw over their heads. The demon rustled around next to him, pressing tightly up to his side. Warmth cocooned them both in the makeshift nest, and Yugi found his head jerking to stay away despite his wariness. The demon was breathing deeply, probably already asleep.

  
  


"Oh…" The warmth from the demon's body chased away the shivers, and Yugi's head dropped to the furs underneath him in exhaustion. His demon was selfish like always, but if this selfishness kept Yugi warm on nights like this…then Yugi couldn't complain.

  
  



	9. Burn the Witch!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot leaps forward!

Yugi cowered in the nurse's office, trying desperatly not to hear the cursing and screaming outside. Yells of 'witch' and 'demon' were heard through the wood as well as the nurses' orders for them to return to their homes. Why wouldn't they just leave him alone? He hasn't done anything! He hasn't hurt anyone! Why were they attacking him?

  
  


"He's under our protection!" Yugi heard one of the nurses shout. Under normal circumstances, the hospital had just as much power as the government, but that mob outside obviously didn't care about rules.

  
  


"Give him to us!" "He's a witch!" "Burn him!"

  
  


_Grandpa...what do i do?_ He had thought that the people were just wary of him; he had no idea that they feared him like this. And what had he done to earn this?  _Nothing but survive,_ he thought vehemetly.

  
  


"Witch!"

  
  


"I'm not a witch," he murmered as he held his legs close to his chest. "Not a witch." He would know if he was a with, right? Something would be different if he was a witch. He didn't  _feel_ damned. 

  
  


He jumped, startled when a side door suddenly opened. His eyes widened, fearing that the mob had found a way around the main door to drag him off to be burned or stoned to death.

  
  


"Come this way, Yugi." It was one of the nurses, Shizuka, a quiet girl who helped to take care of his grandfather. He relaxed just a bit, and after a moment's hesitation, jumped up to follow her. "The others are steering the people away from these halls," she whispered as she lead him. "but we need to hurry. The police aren't doing anything to help us."

  
  


"W-why?" Yugi croaked. "Why are you helping me?"

  
  


"Why?" Shizuka paused for a moment. "Why wouldn't we? Besides, we know you're not a witch," she grabbed his hand and sqeezed it in reassurance. "Noone who takes such good care of his grandfather could possibly be a witch."

  
  


She pulled him forward and that was the end of their conversation. "W-wait! What about my grandpa?!"

  
  


"He'll be fine," she reassured him. "We have him listed under a different last name, so he will be safe from over-zealous crowds. We've grown...fond of his stories."

  
  


They ran in silence from then on. Yugi held on to the comfort and stability that Shizuka's hand portrayed, and he desperatly wished that this was all a dream. Any minute now he would wake up in his grandpa's hospital room with a stiff neck from falling asleep in the chair.

  
  


"Here," Shizuka suddenly thrust Yugi through a door. Sunlight blinded him momentarily. "I don't know how you've been surviving all this time outside of the city, but now might be a good time to stay away for a while. We should be able to get you immunity at some point, once the people have calmed down. If you see an orange and blue banner on the last carriage of our delivery groups, then you'll know that it's safe to come back.

  
  


"Don't worry, Yugi," she said as he pushed him out of the door. "It'll only be for a little while. Until then, stay safe." Then, she dissapeard back into the hospital, and Yugi was left starring at the white door.

  
  


"I...I just...." Yugi steeled himself. Of couse nothing would go right. He must have been cursed at birth or something.  _Nothing_ _ever_ went right. He was just going to have to accept it and move on. Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes. Why?

  
  


He cursed loudly, and spun on his heel to sprint off. He couldn't do anything about it, regardless. He was going to have to run, run like the coward he was. 

  
  


"There he is!" A shout was thrown as he ran through the market square. He cringed as cries of 'witch' echoded around him. If he could make it outside, then he'd be okay. None of the townspeople would dare go outside the walls.  _Just a little further!_ The gates were just past the courtyard behind the market square. He could make it! He was in better shape than the crowd, and definityly had better agility!

  
  


"Leave me alone!" he gasped. His breathing had become slightly labored and he entere the courtyard. More people were filling in around him, and they would soon surround him. The gate! If only he could reach the gate!

  
  


"Shit!" Yugi yelled as he approached the gate. It was closed! Why was it closed?! "Open up!" he screamed at the sentrymen. "Let me out!" He beat against the thick wood with his fists, and drove his body against it. "Open, open, open!" Tears poured down his face as the crowd surged around him. He was going to die!

  
  


A man carrying a pitchfork stepped forward from the crowd, and Yugi cowered against the gate. He wore simple jean overalls over his green shirt, and steal-toed boots dug into the ground. His chin was strong and his eyes showed nothing but hate.

  
  


"Witch," the man spat as he approached Yugi. "Do you have anything to say before we cleanse your damned soul?"

  
  


Yugi shook, terror rooting him to the ground. He was going to die. He was going to die!

  
  


"No? Then may god have mercy on your soul." The man charged him, pitchfork raised to skewer him. The crowd surged behind him, and the angry tital wave of people fell upon Yugi with the intent of ripping him appart. Yugi had nowhere to run, and nothing to defend himself with. So he did the only thing he could do. He screamed for his demon.

  
  


"Yamiiiiiiiiii!"

  
  


An earsplitting whistle and the sound of shattering glass broke the cries of the mob. Green light exploded through the demon-barrier and landed right infront of Yugi, forcing the mob away with the subsequent blast. Cries of fear enaminated from the people as they were pushed back, and Yugi collapsed against the gate. He stared wide-eyed as his demon stood before him, wings spread in all his demonic glory. Yami snarled at the crowd, lunging at any who got close. The man with the overalls and pitchfork charged his demon with a battle cry, and Yami's eyes darted to him. His demon lunged, swiftly taking hold of the raised pitchfork and pushing an explosion of force, air, and green light at the man. Yugi watched, terrified as that man was propelled several feet away, and the surrounding crowd was also pushed back. Green light overtook the normally red jewels, and the color pushed at Yugi and nauseated him.

  
  


"Y-Yami!" His demon's red eyes were coated with a green sheen as he turned to look at him, and Yugi hesitated. Yami's eyes noramlly took on the color that the jewels did, but that color just...felt bad to him. The mob had gone still, and terrified eyes watched as the demon approached Yugi. Whispers of 'witch' and 'he called a demon to him!' spread like wildfire. No, now he'd never get back!

  
  


'Y-Yami..." he whispered. His stomach felt like it was going to empty itself, and his head felt like it was going to swell. He stared at his demon, afraid for his life, afraid for his grandpa's life, and afraid for everything he had become accustomed to. "Yami..."

  
  


There was a sudden movement in the crowd, and Yami snapped to attention. He hissed at the people, and lunged at Yugi. Yugi gasped as he was suddenly grabbed around the middle, and nearly vomited as they launched off the ground. His demon's silver wings thrust against the air, and his body trembled with the effort of a vertical take-off. Yugi burried his face in his demon's chest to ward off the mob's outraged cries of 'witch.'  
  
  


There was no resistance as they passed through the demon-barrier. It barely shimmerd a pale green as they exited, but there was no instant death like it should have been. How did Yami get through it? He  _was_ a demon, right?

  
  


They soared high above the city, and were soon traveling a very familiar course. Eventually, Yugi would break down and cry in his demon's arms and Yami would whisper fierce and soft declarations of 'mine.' But for now, Yugi simply stared at the passing ground and wondered. 

"Why me?"

\--


	10. Afterglow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now for a bit of fluffy stuff.

The sun was setting as Yugi roused himself enough to roll over. His eyesight was fuzzy with sleep, and he blindly groped for his pillow. His fingers caught on the furs and he pulled them closer. It was a little chilly now that the sun didnot reach into the cave.

  
  


He groaned as his movement twisted a very sore muscle in his leg, and his stomach ached. Once he settled into his new position, the aches slowly went away. It was comfortable there among the furs, and the softer material of the blankets felt good against his bare skin. He grumbled as he remembered that his breeches had been tossed somewhere in the cave, and he'd have to hunt them down in the morning when the sunlight would help him search. At least they would be whole, unlike the last pair that had not been so lucky. It was too difficult to find clothes among all the stuff his demon had hid away in his cave.

  
  


A nearby movement stirred him into an almost awake state. His demon, who had been resting in the furs with him, wiggled his way into Yugi's arms. Huffing, Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami's chest, willing to share warmth as the cave grew colder.He took a deep breath and sighed. His demon pressed closely to him, and without his breeches, Yugi could feel  _all_ of him. Not that he cared, currently. They had just had sex, and Yugi was too tired now to care as long as his demon was warm and willing to share the blanket.

  
  


Yami mumbled incoheerent words for the next few minutes before he began to hum. It was unheard of for demon's to be musically capable, so Yugi must have imagined a tune to his humming. It was soothing nontheless, and Yugi drifted away. He was comfortable and warm, and that was all that mattered. He mumbled as his mind was taken by sleepiness, but no one was awake to hear it.

  
  


_"I...'uve you, 'ami."_

  
  



	11. Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is where the crack ascends to a whole new level.

~(Birth)~

  
  


It had all happened so suddenly, almost to the point where Yugi had fallen out of the cave. He had been out gathering fruits and checking the animal traps, like he did everyday, and had even returned a little bit early. Yami was rather far along in his...pregnancy now (the thought of it still struck hims speechless), and Yugi had made a habit of checking on his regularly. He rememberd back when Mrs. Hopkins had been carrying Rebecca, and she had never been left alone except for when she demanded her privacy.

  
  


So, when the first thing he heard was screaming, Yugi had feared the worst. He scrambled up the lasp part of the cliff so fast that his fingers had bled, and was welcomed with a book to the face.

  
  


"Ack!" they unsuspected impact nearly knocked him back down, but he somehow managed to hold on and eventually pull himself up. He ducked as another item, a wooden toy this time, was also thrown at him. "Hey! What gives?!' 

  
  


His demon was screaming and panting, with one hand holding his stomach and the other reaching for another item to throw. A cunvulsion rocked through Yami, and the object he had grabbed fell to the floor. Yugi rushed forward as his scream. "Yami! What's wrong?!" Yugi would have smacked himself for the stupid question, but there were more important matters to think about. Like what he was going to do now that Yami  _was going to give birth!_

  
  


His demon growled at him, and made to swipe at him with exposed claws. "H-hey!" Yugi yelled. "Okay, okay I said! Calm down." he backed up a little from Yami. "I just want to help." Yami continued to growl at him, but eventually he stopped. Whether it was from his own decision or pain, Yugi had no idea. Eventually, the convultions came so quickly that Yami didn't spare the attention to awknowledge him, and Yugi rushed in to help.

  
  


Well, he wanted to help, but as mentioned earlier  _he had no idea what to do!_ "Breath, Yami!" He had never been to a birthing before, but he had heard plenty of women talk about it (it wasn't like he could say 'no'). 'Breathing' was something they emphasised on. Yugi crawled around to Yami's feet, and nervously held onto his ankles. "Breath! You can do it!

  
  


"Now, push!" Yugi grabbed a random blanket and placed it behind Yami's but. "You'd better be breathing over there!" 

  
  


Nausea gripped him as he saw the tip of a head beging to ease out, and, although he's ashamed to admit it) he blanked out for a minute. The next thing he knew, a wet, squirming mass of flash popped out onto the blanket, spilling slimy gunk all over. Yami lunged around and grabbed for the creature, and Yugi watched, mouth agape, as his demon ritualistically wipped the gunk away from the creature's face.

  
  


A wail jerked Yugi out of his transfixed state, and he was shocked to hear an actualy baby wail. He had expected to hear some kind of anamalistic skreech instead of a baby's cry.

  
  


"Y-Yami?" Yugi whispered, flinching as his demon's eyes snapped to attention. Yami starred at him, eyes full of some defensive emotion, and searched him all over. For several moment, Yugi seriously thought that Yami was going to attack him.

  
  


Then, suddenly, Yami lunged forward and deposited the screaming, squirming mass of baby into his arms. He nearly dropped it, the action had been so sudden. "W-what?" Yugi gapped at Yami, who had flopped back onto a nest of furs. "H-hey! Don't just drop it off on me!" Yugi had no idea how to car for a baby, especially a newborn. The baby screamed, yet Yugi continued to stare at Yami. The demon wasn't moving, and his limbs were shaking.

  
  


"O-okay," he stammered. Maternal instincts must have been roused, because the baby's crying suddenly caught his attention. He shushed and cooed at he/she/it, and began to carefully wipe off the excess gunk with the blanket. Normal newborn babies weren't brought out to the family with this gunk on them, so it must need to be cleaned off. He was careful, and always made sure to support the neck.

  
  


"Ohh," he murmered. "He had wings, too." They were tiny, and had almost completely passed his inspection. They were soft and wet, and Yugi tried to clear the gunk off of them too. They twitched as Yugi worked on them, and Yugi soon noticed a stub of a tail, too. Bother were a matching dark grey with circular indents on each large primary 'feather,' just like Yami's wings. However, the baby did not have the plating on his crotch. Instead, there was a think streak of grey along the colar-bone.

  
  


Eventually, Yugi managed to get all the gunk off of the baby, and he wrapped it up in a clean blanket. It was still crying, but not as loudly as before. It was a very needy cry, and Yugi found himself beginning to panic. What was he supposed to do now? 

  
  


There was a quiet murmur from Yami as his demon moved around in the nest. Yugi turned to see his demon gesturing impatiently for him to come over, and he quickily rushed to obey. Yami reached up and took the baby out of his arms, and cuddled the tiny creature up to his chest. His demon guided it to a nipple, where it began to suck greedily. Yugi saw a dribble of milk secreet from the baby's mouth, and tettered between disgust and amazement.

  
  


Eventually, the baby stopped drinking, and fell asleep in Yami's arms. Yugi starred, frozen in his spot until Yami reached up to pull him down. He laid next to his demon jerkily, and starred as the baby was passed into his arms. Yami curled up against his side, and promptly fell asleep.

  
  


Yugi stared at from Yami, to the baby, and back again, trying to make sense of it all. Sure, he had already accepted the fact that Yami had somehow been able to get pregnant, and he  _knew_ that baby were a result of pregnancy. However, he could not believe that he was holding  _his baby_ , his  _half demon_ baby. Unable to do much else, Yugi wiggled down to get comfortable against his demon, and began to doze. Shock from the entire event caught up with him and systematically shut down the cognitive parts of his brain, with his last thought being one of pure disbelief.

  
  


"I...I'm a father."

~(*)~


End file.
